On April 12, we invite you to join us for “Strengthening Our Community,” CASPAR's annual spring fundraiser, taking place at the Courtyard Marriott Cambridge (777 Memorial Drive, Cambridge) from 6-9 p.m. The event will feature delicious food and drink, as well as the chance to bid on unique auction items and hear inspiring stories from those who have battled against addiction and homelessness.

This year, we are proud to be presenting the Carl F. Barron Catalyst for Change Award to Tom Andrews of Alexandria Real Estate, for his longstanding support of CASPAR and other local organizations working to bring hope, while lending a hand, to our homeless neighbors and those in dire need.

To learn about sponsorship opportunities for “Strengthening Our Community,” please click here. And buy your tickets for the event TODAY by clicking here or by contacting CASPAR Director of Development Julia W. Londergan, Esq. at jlondergan@baycove.org.

Close to 200 guests gathered at the Marriott Courtyard Cambridge on March 23 for "Strengthening Our Community" a wonderful evening celebrating the life-saving work done by CASPAR, as well as the brave individuals who've received services through our programs. The event brought together civic, community and business leaders from throughout Cambridge and Somerville, longtime supporters and brand-new friends, advocates for men and women battling addiction and/or homelessness, employees of CASPAR and Bay Cove Human Services and others to honor those we serve, those who serve them, and the generous supporters who help make the work we do possible.

At the event, Cambridge residents Eric and Lori Lander and Family were honored with The Carl F. Barron Catalyst For Change Award for their longstanding support of CASPAR, their commitment to creating positive change in their communities, and their unwavering efforts to help the most vulnerable residents of Cambridge and Somerville. The award—named for a longtime supporter of CASPAR's work and presented this year by last year's recipient, retired Cambridge City Manager Richard Rossi—is given each year to recognize important individuals who have made a positive and lasting impact in the communities of Cambridge and/or Somerville. Guests also enjoyed delicious hors d'oeuvres and a live auction—led this year by event chair Jeff Lockwood, Global Head of Communications at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, and Sarah Gallop, Co-Director of MIT's Office of Government and Community Relations.

We're delighted to report that between auction proceeds, ticket sales and sponsorship donations, this year's "Strengthening Our Community" fundraiser was CASPAR's most successful to date! The event raised more than $150,000 to benefit CASPAR's range of homelessness and addiction services.

All of us at CASPAR offer our deepest thanks to all our guests and generous donors, with particular gratitude to our wonderful event sponsors (Please check out our Supporters page for a complete list!). Kudos also to our hosts, the Marriott Courtyard Cambridge; our dedicated staff of volunteers who helped make the event shine; and the event's organizer — CASPAR's Director of Development, Julia W. Londergan — for a truly amazing job!

Please visit our Facebook page to view photos from the event. Thank you for your continued support, and we hope we'll see you at "Strengthening Our Community" 2018!

CASPAR Mourns the Passing of Hilma Unterberger

All of us at CASPAR were terribly saddened to learn of the passing of one of the organization's founders and steadfast longtime supporters. Hilma Unterberger, a lifelong advocate for individuals batttling addiction and living with mental health challenges, co-founded CASPAR in 1970 and made a tangible difference in the lives of countless men and women during her lifetime. All of us within the organization owe her a debt of gratitude, and we send our prayers and strength to her family during this sad time.

A celebration of Hilma's life will be held on Sunday, September 11, beginning at 1:30 p.m., at Lasell Village, 120 Seminary Ave., in the Auburndale section of Newton. Her obituary may be found here.

CASPAR Featured on MassRealty Site

The popular statewide real estate brokerage website MassRealty recently published a piece about CASPAR on its page devoted to Somerville. The story, "CASPAR Helps People to Build Healthy and Fulfilling Lives," talks about the work our organization does with men and women who are homeless and/or battling addiction in Somerville and Cambridge. Our thanks to MassRealty for helping spread the word about the vital resources CASPAR provides to the communities of Cambridge and Somerville!

On June 16, CASPAR was a guest of honor at the One Kendall Square Block Party in Cambridge’s Kendall Square. This celebration of the summer season brought together those who live, work and play in Kendall Square for an evening of delicious food and drinks sold by One Kendall Square restaurants Bon Me, Belly Wine Bar, State Park, The Blue Room, BeanTowne, Friendly Toast, Mamaleh’s Deli, Smoke Shop, Cambridge Brewing Company and Flat Top Johnny’s; live music from Duppy Conquerors, The Soggy Po Boys and DJ Ryan Brown; and all sorts of fun activities, from lawn games to a prize wheel.

The evening—hosted by the Kendall Square Association and kindly sponsored by our good friends at DivcoWest—served as a fundraiser for CASPAR. Staff were on hand to share information about the important services we provide, and guests gave generously to the cause, donating more than $1,000 to support our Emergency Shelter and other programs.

CASPAR Honored to be Part of the 2016 Taste of Cambridge

On July 12, hundreds of foodies gathered in Central Square for the 2016 Taste of Cambridge event, which celebrated the delicious, creative, healthy and award-winning cuisine for which Cambridge is known, and featured samples of food and drink from more than 100 local restaurants and local specialty butcher, cheese, honey, wine, beer, specialty drinks and coffee purveyors.

Those who attended the event not only got to enjoy scrumptious and mouthwatering cuisine, but the price of admission also helped a number of deserving local non-profits: Food for Free, the Institute for Health and Recovery, The Young Peoples' Project, The Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, Paine Senior Services, and CASPAR. We are incredibly grateful and honored to have been among this year's chosen beneficiaries.

On April 9, 2015, CASPAR (Cambridge and Somerville Program for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Rehabilitation) hosted its annual fundraising event, "Strengthening Our Community," which brought together neighbors and business owners from Cambridge and Somerville to celebrate the vital, life-saving work done throughout the two cities by CASPAR's range of addiction and homelessness programs. The event featured a buffet reception, a live auction of unique and desirable items, and inspiring stories of hope—told by individuals who've seen their lives immeasurably enriched by CASPAR's continuum of care, including shelter, prevention, education and residential services.

At the event, Tiziana C. Dearing, her husband, Dr. Stephen J. Seiner, and their children, were honored with the Carl F. Barron Catalyst for Change Award. This award, named for another longtime supporter of CASPAR's work, is presented annually to recognize important individuals who bring positive change to the community. Tiziana and Steve have made helping vulnerable men and women suffering from addiction and its resulting homelessness their mission as a family, and their support of CASPAR has been one way they've worked to further that mission.

Ms. Dearing is an Associate Professor of Global Practice, Chair of Global Practice and Co-Director for the Center for Social Innovation at Boston College. Before coming to Boston College, Ms. Dearing served as CEO of the start-up anti-poverty fund Boston Rising. She was the first woman president of Catholic Charities, Boston, and was formerly the executive director of the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University. An accomplished leader who has dedicated herself, throughout her career, to clearing a path for the rising class, Ms. Dearing has assisted CASPAR over the years with her development expertise, actively working to substantially increase the impact and sustainability of CASPAR's development plan.

Her husband, Dr. Seiner, is Director of Psychiatric Neurotherapeutics and Director of Medical Student Education at McLean Hospital. For nearly 20 years, both he and Ms. Dearing have offered active support of homeless and addicted individuals in the Cambridge/Somerville area served by CASPAR.

The April 9 fundraiser raised $93,000 for CASPAR's programs for men, women and children. To learn more about CASPAR and its services, visit www.casparinc.org.

CASPAR and Bay Cove Human Services Join in a Strategic Partnership

Effective July 1, 2014, CASPAR and Boston-based non-profit Bay Cove Human Services entered into a strategic partnership, to better provide care and services for people struggling with addictions in Cambridge and Somerville.

“The CASPAR Board of Directors undertook a strategic planning process that determined a merger would be the best way to ensure the future of our programs and services for the people and communities CASPAR serves,” said Francesca DeFabrizio, President of the CASPAR Board of Directors. “In Bay Cove, CASPAR has a partner who shares our core values and has a proven track record of working with local communities to build successful programs. The combined expertise of Bay Cove and CASPAR staff, along with the increased capacity created by this affiliation, puts CASPAR on strong footing to meet the growing demand for addiction services in Cambridge and Somerville.”

“We are honored to be partnering with such a well-known and highly regarded organization, and very excited to work with the communities of Cambridge and Somerville,” said Bill Sprague, President & CEO of Bay Cove. “Both CASPAR and Bay Cove have been offering high quality addiction programs for four decades, and together we will be in an even stronger position to provide the best possible services to the people who need them now and in the years ahead.”

The strategic partnership exists under Bay Cove’s corporate structure, with CASPAR retaining its non-profit status, name and brand identity under this new relationship. Bay Cove’s Board of Directors have assumed fiduciary responsibility and governance of CASPAR, with Bay Cove’s executive team assuming management responsibility. Ruth Fishbein, past President of the CASPAR Board of Directors, has joined the Bay Cove Board of Directors, and several other members of CASPAR’s Board of Directors are now members of Bay Cove’s Board of Advocates―an adjunct Board that provides expertise, volunteer support, and advocacy on behalf of the organization and the people it serves.

CASPAR, Inc. (www.casparinc.org) is a non-profit organization founded in 1970 in response to the need for community-based services for those affected by substance abuse and related issues such as homelessness and mental illness in Cambridge and Somerville. Since then CASPAR has built a comprehensive array of outreach, shelter, stabilization, residential, aftercare, education, and prevention services. CASPAR focuses on programs that are safe, accessible, and supportive and that meet the needs of a diverse population of high-risk men, women, children and adolescents, most of whom are economically disadvantaged.

Bay Cove Human Services, Inc. (www.baycove.org) is a non-profit organization founded in 1974, with its first program offering services for people with addictions in Boston. Today, Bay Cove provides effective, compassionate care to individuals and families who face the challenges of developmental disabilities, mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction and aging at more than 160 sites in Greater Boston and southeastern Massachusetts. Bay Cove offers a continuum of drug and alcohol addiction services, including substance abuse prevention, detoxification, short-term residential programming, individual and group counseling, and outpatient treatment for opiate addiction.